NCJ Number
62998
Date Published
1979
Length
64 pages
Annotation
THE NEW JERSEY SUPREME COURT'S COMMITTEE ON JUDICIAL EVALUATION AND PERFORMANCE DEVELOPS A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A FORMAL PROGRAM FOR THE EVALUATION OF JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE.
Abstract
RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BASED ON INQUIRIES OF JUDGES, BOTH SITTING AND RETIRED, AND OF THE ORGANIZED BAR AND ON STUDIES OF NUMEROUS DOCUMENTS AND PUBLICATIONS DEALING WITH JUDICIAL EVALUATION, DISCIPLINE, AND RELATED TOPICS. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE RECOMMENDED EVALUATION PROGRAM ARE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF JUDGES' PERFORMANCE, ENHANCE JUDICIAL EDUCATION, IMPROVE THE ASSIGNMENT AND USE OF JUDGES, STRENGTHEN JUDICIAL DISCIPLINE, AND IMPROVE THE EVALUATION OF JUDGES TO BE REAPPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR. AREAS OF JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE ARE TO BE COMPETENCE, PRODUCTIVITY, AND CONDUCT. PERFORMANCE IS TO BE LABLED 'SATISFACTORY' OR 'UNSATISFACTORY.' ALL FULL-TIME JUDGES IN THE STATE JUDICIARY ARE TO BE EVALUATED, WITH THE FREQUENCY OF EVALUATION RELATED TO THE STATUS OF THE JUDGE; NEWLY APPOINTED AND NONTENURED JUDGES WILL BE EVALUATED MORE FREQUENTLY THAN EXPERIENCED JUDGES. A COMBINATION OF EVALUATION MECHANISMS WILL BE USED. A PERMANENT EVALUATION COMMITTEE WITH PUBLIC AND JUDICIARY REPRESENTATION IS ENVISIONED. THE EVALUATION PROGRAM IS TO BE DEVELOPED AND SUPERVISED BY THE COURTS. EVALUATION METHODS AND EVALUATION REPORTS AND FORMS ARE DESCRIBED. (RCB)